Living conditions, work, housing and the environment or environment in which we live, among other determinants, affect public health and more and more focus is being placed on the importance of public action to achieve health . It is based on the joint work of professional networks from various fields and the citizens themselves to improve the living conditions of a particular community. This type of training in community action does not go deep into university degrees, and there is an increasing demand, which is why the Menorca School of Public Health hosts up to three courses related to community action in this issue.

“Anyone who thinks about what things affect their health, i.e., what supports it and what makes it worse, will ultimately judge aspects that go beyond therapy or medical treatment”, say professors who have taught the course ‘Community Action’. in health: experimenting, learning, building’, Mariano Hernán (Andalusian School of Public Health), Jara Cubillo (Ministry of Health), Rafael Cofiño (Directorate General of Public Health of Asturias) and Daniel García (Madrid Health Service).

“The most cohesive communities are better able to produce health, therefore, investing in community development has an effect on health. And it is very important to reduce inequality because we see that there is more health, when there is less difference in the income level of the same community or country”, added the teachers, who also demanded more investment from the political side, because “community health is relevant. , this is not a game, this is science, and the role of the Menorca School of Public Health is key because its commitment to community action has been strong”.

The course ‘Working together to build a resilient environment for health equity’, taught by Jennie Popay and Ana Porroche-Escudero (University of Lancaster), and Angelina González (Universitat de Barcelona, ​​​Agència de Salut Pblica de Catalunya) also focuses on on inequality. . “Inequality affects all dimensions of health. The poorer a person is, the more likely they are to develop cancer, mental health problems, heart problems and die younger, among other things. And all of this gets worse depending on their ethnicity, gender and if there is a disability, as inequality builds up, so this year we are working with a crossing perspective”, explained Popay, who added that the pandemic had exacerbated social inequality.

The University of Lancaster professor relates that in countries like the UK, life expectancy increased for everyone until about 15 years ago, when growth stopped and, in some places, dropped outright, “a dramatic fact.” That may be due to the 2008 financial crisis: “Governments are reducing services and when this is coupled with rising unemployment and low wages, the conditions in which people live and work are deteriorating.”

Currently, a lot of social and health work is being done with a focus on the most vulnerable communities and environments, but Popay points out that focusing on these communities only at the local level is not enough, at least they have to be regional and national actions: “We have to work at the local level. local but also looking outside”.